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Supporting New Teachers to Make Global Connections

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With help from guest blogger Michele L. Haiken, Edutopia blogger Lisa Dabbs looks at ways that teachers can expand their classroom walls using global collaboration projects.

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A fun tool that you can use in the class and easy to use.

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Create a fun learning game in minutes - we call these 'kahoots'. The format and number of questions is up to you. Add videos, images and diagrams to your questions to amplify engagement.

How to create a kahoot on your computer
How to create a kahoot in the app

Kahoots are best played in a group setting. To join a game, you need a unique PIN. If you're the game host, you need a big screen. Players answer on their own devices, while questions are displayed on a shared screen. In addition to live games, you can also send kahoot challenges that players complete at their own pace - for example, for homework or remote training.
How to play a live kahoot
After a game, encourage players to create and share their own kahoots! With one of our premium plans for schools or business, you can co-create games with your colleagues and save time on finding relevant kahoots for your class or training session.
How to help learners become leaders in class

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Want to make learning fun and engaging? Find out how to get started with Kahoot!, one of world's most popular learning platforms.

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I'm trying to introduce a monthly tech lunch at school.  It's got a little potluck component and an introduction to a tech tip for the classroom that you can demo for others.  It's informal and totally voluntary.  It gets shared out on our school conference afterwards as well.  

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I'm trying to introduce a monthly tech lunch at school.  It's got a little potluck component and an introduction to a tech tip for the classroom that you can demo for others.  It's informal and totally voluntary.  It gets shared out on our school conference afterwards as well.  

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We have used Padlet in many ways, for sorting ideas, for collecting ideas and comments, for our PLC's, and for sharing.

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Educamp style PD :for others to learn different forums of technology

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An Edcamp pioneer looks back at how the now-popular model remains free, noncommercial, spontaneous, organic, user-friendly, and open to all presenters and attendees.

Photo credit: Kevin Jarrett via flickr (CC BY 2.0)

In 2010, I wrote a post for Edutopia called Introduction to Edcamp: A New Conference Model Built on Collaboration. Just three months earlier, myself and a team of fellow educators organized the first Edcamp unconference at Drexel University in Philadelphia. We had no idea back in May 2010, after Edcamp Philly came to a close, how the Edcamp model would change the landscape for professional development (PD) across the entire globe.

The Model Takes Off

Edcamp is the quintessential grassroots movement. In June 2010, only a month after the original Edcamp, educators in Charlottesville, Virginia organized Edcamp Cville inspired by what they experienced in Philly. As more events popped up, more were born. You can see how Edcamps have led to new Edcamps through the Edcamp Family Tree created by Chrissi Miles. Finally, the original organizers banded together to form the Edcamp Foundation, a 501c(3) dedicated to participant-driven professional development.

As more and more teachers attend Edcamps, it has become impossible to ignore the impact that this kind of professional development has on teaching and learning, and the empowering and reenergizing quality that it has for educators. Edcamp was even picked up by the U.S. Department of Education in 2014 for Edcamp US DOED, which was held again in 2015. Large conferences like ASCD have incorporated Edcamp-style sessions, and Edcamp organizers have written both a white paper and a book about the model and its impact on educators and their classrooms. Administrators have incorporated the Edcamp model into their staff meetings, and Joe Mazza, principal of Knapp Elementary School in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, connected families and teachers through Parent Camp. The model has even been adopted by students, most recently during Northfield (New Jersey) Community Middle School's Edcamp Period.

So why has this model grown so rapidly and garnered so much attention? For one, it is an outlet for educators who are hungry for new experiences and ways to explore their own practice with others. Most conferences are too expensive for the average educator, and many occur during school hours, so teachers have to take personal days to attend. Districts tend to send only administrators to conferences in the hopes that what leaders learn will trickle down to staff. In over a decade of teaching, I've never once had a school pay for me to attend a conference of my choosing. Edcamps, on the other hand, are free to attend and take place on Saturdays.

Not-So-Secrets of Success

In addition, the model itself offers what many teachers crave even when they do get the chance to attend conferences: choice and voice. Their peers are leading the sessions, and they can move between sessions rather than having to sit in one that they don't find useful or effective. People are eager to learn and listen rather than be a talking head. What teachers want are the things that we always say we want to give our students: choice and voice. As one of Northfield's middle school students reflects, "It's cool that the ideas for what we will be working on came from us, and if we think of something else that we want to add to the list, we can just add it."

It's free.

It's noncommercial (no vendor booths or sales pitches).

The session board is created and built by the participants on the day of the event

Attendees apply "the rule of two feet" when a session doesn't fit their needs.

Anyone can be a presenter.

Anyone can attend.

The most important elements of an Edcamp are:

A successful Edcamp is not dependent on size. Whoever comes is meant to be there, and the outcomes will be meaningful because the people who were there were invested in the conversations. One piece of feedback that, as a veteran Edcamper, I take to heart comes from a fellow educator whom I respect and who is also a veteran Edcamper. Paul Bogush gave this feedback in a post last year: "I do think there are still issues Edcamps need to iron out. At some established Edcamps, too many people are coming with canned presentations they set up in advance, and those Edcamps are soon going to lose their 'organic' label." I agree with Paul. The best sessions that I've attended haven't necessarily been pre-planned. They're organic, led by the voices in the room, and don't feel "workshop-y."

If you haven't yet checked out an Edcamp, there are events happening all over the U.S. and the world. For your convenience, the Edcamp Foundation offers a map and calendar to help you find and attend these events. And if you have been to one or more Edcamps, please share your experiences below in the comments section of this post.

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Why Edcamp Is the Future of PD | Edutopia

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An Edcamp pioneer looks back at how the now-popular model remains free, noncommercial, spontaneous, organic, user-friendly, and open to all presenters and attendees. Photo credit: Kevin Jarrett via flickr (CC BY 2.0) In 2010, I wrote a post for Edutopia called Introduction to Edcamp: A New Conference Model Built on Collaboration.

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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Tech Leading Principles

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The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Tech Leading Principles

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Leadership | In Print

7 Habits of Highly Effective Tech-leading Principals

Patrick Larkin, principal of Burlington High School in Burlington, MA, started a 1-to-1 iPad initiative in the fall of 2012.

The conventional wisdom in education is that any school reform--be it curriculum, instruction, assessment, or teacher professionalism--is most likely to take hold in schools that have strong leadership. The same holds true for technology. Any educator will tell you the most successful implementation of technology programs takes place in schools where the principal sees him or herself as a technology leader.

"The role of the principal is one of facilitation and modeling behavior," remarks Robert Farrace, senior director of communications and development with the National Association of Secondary School Principals. "The principal who models these behaviors is going to be able to inspire innovation in their school much more effectively than a principal who simply requires that teachers use technology, or collaborate, or take risks."

T.H.E. Journal recently surveyed principals from across the country to identify the attributes they think a principal who wants to be an effective technology leader should demonstrate. The consensus settled on the seven attributes most frequently mentioned. They constitute our list of "Seven Habits." At the same time, we solicited Farrace's expert insight into why each of these habits is important.

We then spoke with three highly effective technology leaders among the ranks of principals to see how these habits have led to the successful implementation of educational technology in their schools. Patrick Larkin, of Burlington High School in Burlington, MA, and Eric Sheninger, of New Milford High School in New Milford, NJ, were recently recognized as NASSP Digital Principals. Lyn Hilt is both the principal and technology integrator at Brecknock Elementary School in Denver, PA. She and Larkin will speak on the topic of 21st century leadership at ISTE 2012.
1. Create an Atmosphere That Inspires Innovation
The Expert's Perspective:
Robert Farrace: "Guiding the culture of the school is one of the most important things that a principal has to do. Unfortunately, it's also the most difficult. A lot of principals are stuck by the question, 'How do I get from where I am to where I want the school to be?'

"How do you go about moving a collective set of values and beliefs that a faculty has built up in a school over years, perhaps even generations? What steps do you need to take to move that toward the kind of culture that allows for innovation?"

The Habit in Action:
"Our mission statement clearly says that we teach responsible citizenship and lifelong learning," explains Patrick Larkin. "I don't think that you can teach responsible citizenship in the year 2012 if you're ignoring digital citizenship and the use of technology." Yet, as recently as 2007, Larkin's Burlington High School in Burlington, MA, didn't allow students to access web-enabled mobile devices during the school day.

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national association of secondary school principals

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7 Habits of Highly Effective Tech-leading Principals -- THE Journal

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Leadership | In Print Patrick Larkin, principal of Burlington High School in Burlington, MA, started a 1-to-1 iPad initiative in the fall of 2012. The conventional wisdom in education is that any school reform--be it curriculum, instruction, assessment, or teacher professionalism--is most likely to take hold in schools that have strong leadership.

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An interesting video on what the classroom will look like in the future.

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Technology in Education: A Future Classroom

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Developing the Organization to Support Desired Practice

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Developing the Organization to Support Desired Practice

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Connected learning and leading builds collaborative school culture and connects the school to the wider environment.

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A positive perspective on being "techie"

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"Innovation" is one of the most used words in education right now. It is something that I am obviously passionate about, hence the reason I wrote the book, "The Innovator's Mindset". I am scared that we use the word "innovation" in the wrong way when there is power to this type of thinking. Words do not become "buzzwords" because they are used too frequently; they become "buzzwords" when they are used frequently in an incorrect manner.

Here are some misconceptions about the word that we need to dispell to protect "innovation" in education from becoming a buzzword.

1. Innovation is about how you use technology. Nope...this is incorrect. My belief is that this happens because a lot of technologies that are advertised are deemed innovative, which can be true. But innovation is a way of thinking, not simply the way we use technology. For example, is using a "scantron" to mark multiple choice exams innovative? It is definitely convenient, but does this lead to better learning in the classroom? My answer is that it could actually lead to worse learning, faster. Students do not necessarily become better learners, but better test takers. I am not about absolutes, so if you do a multiple choice exam here and there, I am fine with it, but it is not innovative. Using a SmartBoard; innovative or doing the same thing we were doing before, just "cooler"? There are a million ways that you can use google forms, but the ability to use "google forms" is not innovative'; it is what you do with it that creates the innovative practice in the classroom.
That being said, there are many ways that educators are innovativewithout using technology. Look at EdCamp. This has become one of the best ways that educators have taken ownership of their own learning yet technology is not necessarily at the forefront of this process; it is the process of the professional learning that is innovative.
Dispell the myth that "technology equals innovation" and you will see more educators seeing that many things they are doing in classrooms right now are extremely innovative, with or without technology.Innovation is about "mindset", not skill set.
This leads to the next misconception.

2. Innovation is reserved for the few. Again, no. If innovation is about "doing new and better things", why would this only be reserved for the few? This does not mean you get rid of what you were doing previously, but always evaluating is it working for your students. Many people will stick with things because they know them, not because they are better. This is human nature and happens in relationships all of the time. It is the same for personal as it is for professional.The process of innovation in teaching and learning is something that all educators should aspire to. Here is an image that may help you see why it is important.
Are there only a few educators in your organization that should look at the process of teaching and learning this way, or everyone? This is not something that should be done by the few but should be the norm in school.

3. Innovation is solely a "product". People believe the iPhone was innovative. It is in some ways. Yet it is the thinking that created the iPhone in the first place that was the innovation. Someone had to have a vision of what a "phone" could be, but when you look at the innovation of mobile technology, this has led to other innovations. Uber, AirBnB, iTunes, and a myriad of other developments were created because smartphones were created. Innovation happens in the thinking to create these things in the first place; they did not come to fruition on their own. Many people have great ideas, but making these ideas happen is the innovation. Creativity leads to innovation, but I have met many "creative" thinkers who do not make things happen.

As I have stated numerous times, innovation should not be reserved for the few, but become the norm in education. It trickles into how we do everything, whether that is assessment practices, leadership, professional learning, how we use technology, and so many other areas, but ultimately in teaching and learning. The first step to getting people to move there is to see that this is not an individual effort, but a team sport.
(If you are interested in learning more about "innovation in education", I would encourage you to read my book, "The Innovator's Mindset", if you haven't already. The hope is that we see innovation become the norm in education, not reserved for the few.)

Working with groups, I often hear this question when talking about parents and their lack of willingness for their students to use technology.

"What about the parents that do not want their students using technology in the classroom?"

In my last session, what I had said was that these parents who do not want their children using technology, are "not as much as you pretend." What I meant by that, is that we often use the excuse of parents not wanting their children to use technology, or students having access as an out, not a reality.

Now, do these roadblocks exist? Absolutely. But there are lots of parents, myself included, that would want their children using technology in meaningful ways within school. Do those parents get a say? There are many students that do not live in the most affluent communities, yet still bring phones to school. To many "access" has become a fundamental need.

Check out the updated "Maslow's Hierarchy":

Although probably made in satire, it is not that far off.

I would never want a teacher to go against a parent's wishes for their child, and my response when asked if a parent doesn't want their own child utilizing technology in the classroom is always the same; "We will still provide a high quality education for your child without the use of technology, but we will also respect the wishes of parents who want the meaningful use of technology for their own children in their learning."

Too often we create something in our heads as a barrier. Sometimes the reluctance with parents to try new things is a direct relation to the enthusiasm (or lack thereof) from a teacher. We need to push past ourselves first, if we are going to help others move forward if we are going to realize a new vision for education.

"You don't need technology to learn."

I have heard this statement a ton from educators, and although there is truth to it, we have to realize that technology brings in opportunities for learning that we never had as kids.

For example...living in a small town in Canada, if I wanted to learn to play the violin as a kid, it was imperative that we would have a violin teacher living in the area. If I was adamant about it, we could have driven 75-90 minutes to the nearest city, and found a teacher. Adding not only the time it would have taken to get back and forth, but the money to not only have these lessons, but for gas and time off work for my parents, this would have been an opportunity afforded to only a few with the necessary resources to make it happen. To be honest, this wouldn't have been something I would have even thought of as a child, because the opportunity wouldn't have been there.

But now if I wanted to play the violin, I could just go on YouTube, or do a Google Hangout with someone who was a violin teacher, or someone who just loved playing and sharing how to play the violin. Or even better, these same kids can start teaching others around the world. One of my favourite quotes on education is from Joseph Joubert, who says, "to teach, is to learn twice." The ability to teach others, will only further my own knowledge and skill-set.

These opportunities did not exist when I was a child.

When an educator says, "I don't use technology because it's not really my thing", my response?

"It's not about you."

We can no longer ignore the opportunities that exist for our learners today. Our job is to create an education system that is better than the one we grew up in, as will be the duty of the next generation of educators. We must embrace what is right in front of us.
Here is a short video on some of these "Global Possibilities for Learning" from the "LearnTeachLead" site:
George Couros - Global Possibilities for Learning from LearnTeachLead on Vimeo.

There was a conversation on Twitter between two educators sharing their frustration regarding the process of getting a website approved, and they alluded to an old post of mine titled, " 4 Guiding Questions for Your IT Department ". In short, the questions are the following:

1. What is best for kids?

2. How does this improve learning?

3. If we were to do _________, what is the balance of risk vs. reward?

4. Is this serving the few or the majority?

These questions, although meant to help guide IT departments in education, are not meant to be exclusive to that part of school systems. In fact, these questions are meant to be a bridge of common questions between IT, teachers, and administrators. If you can't answer these questions from the viewpoint of an educator or leader, then why would any new technologies be adopted?

The other thing about these questions is that they are not about "absolutes" but about conversation starters between different groups that have different roles in the system. We spend so much time doing our own thing, that we often get lost on our singular purpose of "what is best for kids". If we start the conversation there, it tends to refocus people on finding a common goal.

But here is the thing...If you are struggling with technology, whether it is infrastructure, access, filters, or a plethora of other problems that can happen, this is often not a technology problem; it's a leadership problem. I remember one educator making the remark that if we are learning about things like assessment, wellness, curriculum, or whatever, many educators are provided time to do that, but when we learn about technology, that should be on your own time after school. That shows how high it is on the priority list, similar to the notion of "when you are done your work, you can play games on the computer". It is an afterthought for many, at best.

When leaders (from any position) see the need for technology, they ensure that it is not only accessible, but simple to use. The more barriers that educators have to go through with technology, the less likely they are to use it. We can say things like "you need to have a growth mindset" and place blame on others, but do we create schools where technology is so easy to use that it most likely will be? Again, that is about leadership, not technology.

When things become priority, they happen. If we really want to develop our students as the leaders of tomorrow, then the tools of today should not be so hard to access.

A couple of years ago, I wrote a post on " 8 Things To Look For in Today's Classroom", and it has been something that has helped my own learning, and hopefully others as well.

Sylvia Duckworth, who has been recently putting together a great series of visuals on different articles, made one specifically on the "8 Things" post. Check it out below.

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"Innovation" is one of the most used words in education right now. It is something that I am obviously passionate about, hence the reason I wrote the book, "The Innovator's Mindset". I am scared that we use the word "innovation" in the wrong way when there is power to this type of thinking.

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For students to read the same book and share ideas with others around the world.

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to Global Read Aloud. I am reading Fenway and Hattie to my own daughters (in addition to participating as a teacher with A Long Walk to Water and A Monster Calls with my students.) My daughters are 6 and 7 years old and think the book is hilarious!

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For sharing and finding new ideas, great tool for communication

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Ways to use tech in your classroom.

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"google apps" "youtube help" tutorials "technology for teachers" "3d printing" "free technology" "educational technology" "microsoft office" "microsoft word"...

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Teacher's Tech wants to help you get more out of your tech. Weekly videos will showcase tips, tricks, tutorials, apps, extensions, and tech gadgets. About Jamie Keet: I've taught for over 20 years, during that time I have had the chance to teach elementary through high school and lead many PD days coaching other teachers in the use of technology.

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An excellent tool to use for discussions, planning, brainstorming, surveying and making lists.